You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
